KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sabrina Edwards, a fifth-form student at Maud McLeod High School in Westmoreland, secured first place in the Ministry of Education and Youth’s (MoEY) TREND Dance Challenge.

The announcement ceremony, held on Monday, February 5, marked the conclusion of the competition, where Edwards not only claimed the top spot but also earned a cash prize of $100,000.

According to a news release on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education and Youth launched the Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) campaign on October 30, integrating the Dance Challenge in November as a platform for students to showcase their creativity and convey the objectives of the campaign through dance.

The statement said Edward’s achievement underscores the campaign’s success, demonstrating her talents and commitment to the campaign’s vision.

“I am so excited about winning the competition. I entered because I have a natural talent for dancing, and I wanted to show the educational value of dancing and how it can contribute to our development,” she said about winning the competition.

The highly competitive MoEY TREND Dance Challenge saw Javon Johnson, a fifth-form student from Kingston College, secure the second-place position. Javon and his team were awarded three tablets for their outstanding performance. Leighanna Howe, a first-form student at Holy Childhood High, claimed the third-place spot and received $20,000 in book vouchers.

The campaign aims to revolutionise Jamaica’s education system, focusing on the seven pillars of change outlined in the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission Report. These pillars include governance and accountability, early childhood education, teaching, curriculum and teacher training, the tertiary sector, technical and vocational education training, infrastructure and technology, and finance.

Speaking at the ceremony, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, the Acting Chief Education Officer, highlighted the significant impact of the TREND campaign on student development.

“The TREND initiative fosters the holistic development of all students, and we have been seeing the transformation within schools,” explained Thomas-Gayle.

Dr Kasan Troupe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Youth, noted the hard work being done by the Ministry’s team to transform education for national development. This evening, we celebrate our boys and girls who participated in the dance challenge. We could not have a campaign without dance because it reflects the art of STEAM, and you know we have been STEAMing in the education model in Jamaica,” she added.